Gauff powers past Bronzetti to make last 16 in Indian Wells

Coco Gauff eased past Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 7-6 (5) to reach the last 16 at Indian Wells.

The American was troubled little in the first set as she comfortably moved into a one-set lead, before Bronzetti tidied up her own service games to force a close second.

It was the reigning US Open champion who came through the breaker, though, sailing into the last 16 with relative ease against a tricky opponent.

Gauff could face Naomi Osaka in the next round in what would be a mouth-watering encounter. The Japanese player has looked in good form in the desert this week, but will need to come through against experience Belgian Elise Mertens, the No 24 seed, in order to progress.

The 19-year-old American edged out Frenchwoman Clara Burel (2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4)) in the previous round of the Indian Wells tournament.

Earlier in the tournament, Bronzetti, ranked No 53, defeated Pole Magdalena Frech (6-2, 6-4) and Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina, the No 32 seed (6-3, 6-4).

Indian Wells WTA 1000, other third-round results (Indian Wells Tennis Garden, hard, USD 9.258.080, most recent results first):

• Elina Svitolina vs. Emma Navarro
• Caroline Garcia vs. Maria Sakkari
• Naomi Osaka vs. Elise Mertens
• Anna Blinkova vs. Diane Parry
• Emma Raducanu vs. Aryna Sabalenka
• Sloane Stephens vs. Daria Kasatkina
• Yue Yuan vs. Caroline Dolehide: monday
• Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (22) beat Beatriz Haddad Maia (12): 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
• Caroline Wozniacki (WC) beat Katie Volynets (WC): 6-2, 4-6, 6-0
• Marta Kostyuk vs. Marketa Vondrousova
• Angelique Kerber beat Veronika Kudermetova (17): 6-4, 7-5
• Anastasia Potapova (28) beat Nadia Podoroska (LL): 6-1, 6-1
• Jasmine Paolini (13) beat Anna Kalinskaya (21): 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
• Yulia Putintseva beat Madison Keys (18): 6-4, 6-1
• Iga Swiatek (1) beat Linda Noskova (26): 6-4, 6-0